Help with my Son's unusual M35

[DiViSiBle]

Thanks everyone so much for the input on the helmet. I must admit that it was quite thrilling removing the shiny black paint revealing the M35 that lurked underneath. Next time I hope I don't get so caught up in the moment and step back and breathe a little before continuing. LOL It has made my son's week, he has not stopped talking about the helmet and is anxious to pursue some more "diamonds in the rough". even though I told him this may be a once in a lifetime helmet.

I went and checked out the KM helmet that was restored, very, very nice job. Thanks again for the wonderful insight and info on this helmet, I'll be sure to share anything else unusual we happen to run across.

dick anderson

[gibba1008]

In my opinion, you shouldn't be too eager to remove the swasticas. The bottom leg of the one to the left of the decal looks to me to have been applied when the liner rivet was still in place, making it quite possible that the painted insignia were wartime applied. The volksturm and sometimes foreign volunteers often hand painted crude insignia on the sides of their helmets. I have a really neat no decal M42 with red swasticas crudely hand painted on the sides just under the vents that I picked up at a small militaris show abouy 20 years ago for peanuts off of a table that have alot of daggers and bayonets, but no other helmets, and in my opinion it is a "one looker". You said that before you tried to restore the piece the painted insignia were more faded. My advice, for what it is worth, it that it is much better not to try to "freshen up" a piece, and if you hadn't cleaned this piece it may have been easier to determine whether the insignia were period. From what you said, I suspect that the swasticas were indeed war time applied, and if I owned the piece, I would leave it as is. Jim G.

that is a terrific observation on the rivet jim! reckon it is indeed the real deal